


Self-Rescuing Purrincess

by overworkedunderwhelmed



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action/Adventure, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Kitty Love Zine: A Marichat Zine, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, volume 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:01:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27369208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overworkedunderwhelmed/pseuds/overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: Between the Akuma-of-the-day gunning for her and a superpowered partner who was bent on rescuing her — before she could safely escape and transform — life never left a quiet moment for Marinette.Not that she would ever let that hold her back from keepingallof Paris safe.EspeciallyChat Noir.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 27
Kudos: 328





	Self-Rescuing Purrincess

**Author's Note:**

> This is my piece from Kitty Love Zine 2.0. Pieces were limited to 1500 words, and so help me, I used nearly every single one.
> 
> Big thanks again to Elcie for beta reading and to Corazn for the companion comic! I'll update the end notes with a link to the comic after it is posted in the next day or two.

All Marinette wanted was one, quiet day. 

A day to plan all the niceties of a social dance. One day to enjoy the relatively quiet company of the girls from class who had come with ideas, ready to make their cases.

“Let’s not get off topic.” Marinette plastered on a smile, glancing out at the girls assembled in the empty classroom. “ _Again…_ ” 

“So,” Alya smirked, “we really need to pick out a theme.”

Mylene nodded. “It would help to coordinate the decorations…”

“Ooh!” Rose stood up excitedly. “Our theme should be pink! With _romance_ and _love_ and--”

Marinette sighed, nearly losing the fight against the temptation to massage her temples. She was already mentally mapping out her conversation with Rose on the _appropriate_ amount of pink in the décor, when the loud smash of glass hailed the sudden arrival of an Akuma.

The girls scrambled out of the classroom. Marinette eyed the nearly empty corridors, looking to make a hasty escape. However, there were too many eyes on her, looking to her for leadership. Her friends all huddled around her, ducking down out of sight as much as possible. The supervillain raged below, a mismatch of mayhem standing in the middle of the courtyard. 

Alya tucked in close to Marinette’s side, whispering loudly. “Got any ideas, girl?”

Marinette set her jaw, glancing back and forth along the empty hallways and back to their worried faces. “Let’s split up. We’re not going to give this guy an easy target.”

With nodded agreement, the girls parted, splintering the supervillain’s targeting potential.

The Akuma shot innocent-looking juggling balls at a few of the smaller groups in the school’s courtyard. The attack went wide, but the shockwave left the ground cracked and buckling beneath their feet. It was lucky that the building was still standing...

The fractured pavement conveniently separated her from her too-observant best friend.

It wasn’t often that she could say it, but thank _goodness_ for the Akuma attack…

She smiled reassuringly and shooed Alya away with a silent gesture, watching the determined glare slip over Alya’s face as she led the others out of easy blast radius.

She turned back to the Akuma in time to see a dark grin pull at its purple lips. 

Frowning, Marinette clamped her hand down on her purse, holding tightly to Tikki as she scrambled for steadier ground. It was clear to her now that she had misread his intention. This Akuma _wanted_ them to be separated.

She ducked behind a sizable, dislodged chunk of asphalt, checking to see that no one was watching so she could transform.

Another shockwave interrupted her, rumbling the ground beneath her feet. That was the only warning she had before the wind was knocked out of her and she was rushing upwards.

Marinette opened her eyes, looking down at the cracked pavement and the crumbling brick wall that now stood—barely— where she had just been.

Blinking, she peered up to confirm that a knight in shining Kitty armor had quite literally swooped in to her rescue. He darted an anxious glance down, glowing green eyes warming with concern before they snapped back up to the threat. 

She breathed, tightening her hold on his neck, as he vaulted up onto the rooftops to scramble away. 

That was much too close a call. 

She veered around to peek over Chat’s shoulder.

The bellowing Akuma, a taller male in a noxious combination of green and purple, was giving chase after them. 

Her brows furrowed as she watched the distance grow between them by virtue of Chat Noir’s speed alone. What the Akuma lacked in speed he made up for in damage, lobbing his juggling balls just short of his targets.

This Akuma was definitely gunning for her, but if it was coming after _her_ , it would be leaving her friends alone. She tried not to worry about the collateral damage to the neighborhood as they finally outpaced the Akuma.

“I think you should be safe now,” Chat exhaled, his boots finding solid purchase on the street beside her house. Carefully, he disentangled her from around his neck, setting her gently down. “You should run and hide.”

She nodded, starting to head away.

Blowing out a shaky breath, Marinette mentally started to plan. If she could get out of sight, then she could transform—

She didn’t get to finish that thought. Not before she was knocked off her feet and out of the way, tumbling on the ground.

Wincing against the pain of loose stone digging into her exposed forearms, she looked up.

She spotted Chat's ears perk and muscles tense a split second before he threw himself into the line of attack, knocking her back and sending them both tumbling across the pavement. 

Frowning, she peered over to him. Chat must have realized she was in the line of fire, never hesitating to push her away and take the brunt force of the hit in her place. 

His ears were still perked, though he was clearly hurt, groaning and doubled over in pain on the ground only a few feet away…

Struggling to her feet but crouching behind the giant, cracked slab of pavement, she struggled to take stock. She was a little scratched and scraped, but otherwise in one piece.

The blast had knocked some of the bricks above loose, narrowly missing them both. It was miraculous that neither of them were more hurt.

“Are you okay?” 

On her knees, she shuffled closer to check on Chat Noir, who gave her a distressed smile. Her eyes searched his, finding his gaze dazed and unfocused. His breathing was shallow, broken up by a cough. His arm braced over his abdomen as she slid away. “I’ll survive until Ladybug can take this Akuma out...”

Her eyes darted around, finding no hint of a solution, but locked onto the rumble of the street in the distance…

“Any sign of Ladybug?” He huffed, struggling to pull himself up to his knees. Chat wiped the trickle of blood from his lips where his face had grazed the pavement.

Marinette gnawed at her lip, frantically searching for someplace safe and out of sight that she could transform. “Not yet…”

They were running out of time, running out of options.

There was no way to transform — not without letting him know who was hidden behind the mask.

“We need to move, Chat Noir. Quickly!” Mustering all of her strength, Marinette desperately hauled him up onto his feet, but his every movement was pained and laborious.

He staggered on shaky feet, struggling to get his bearings. 

Marinette set her jaw. 

Their only hope was for her to draw the Akuma’s focus away from him.

By standing in front of him.

Protecting him.

Slamming her eyes shut, she braced herself, knowing whatever would come at her was going to hurt.

The hit she expected never came. 

Instead she felt the rush of wind and the strong arm banding about her waist. 

Indifferent to his pain, Chat Noir had sprung to action and scooped her up again to steal her out of the way. 

His green eyes widened, impressed and happy and absolutely terrified for her all at once.

“You might be our everyday Ladybug, Marinette.” He winced, racing away with her in his arms to get them both clear. “But without the transformation, that sort of thing is much too dangerous. Protecting people is my job.”

She frowned, stubbornness masking her sheer relief.

Chat Noir smiled, fondly reprimanding her. “You _know_ you don't have the mouse miraculous on you right now, right? Without a transformation, you’re not really _suited_ to withstand what the Akuma can throw at us.”

Now it was Marinette herself who was a little breathless. 

She hadn’t been injured — not much anyways. _He’d_ made certain of that. 

“I hadn’t noticed,” she murmured, half hiding her face behind his form, hugging him all that much more tightly. His too-canny ears were definitely going to pick up some aspect of her reaction. But, if she had any luck at all, he might just take it for fear.

“Think you could see if Alya can try to reach Ladybug?” He floundered near the closest rooftop, stumbling and swaying a bit on his feet. He cradled her head and neck, ensuring she wouldn’t be hurt when he dropped back against the wall. “I’m not sure how long I can hold this guy off solo…”

Her hand lingered on his shoulder, helping to steady him. Her concerned gaze locked on his lumbering form, ragged and worse for the wear, but still smiling far more gently at her than she’d ever believed possible. “I’ll do everything I can.” 

Soft green eyes peered back at her, his claws digging into the rail as he rallied his strength and readied to pounce off — between her and the threat. “I’m sure you will, Marinette.” 

Once he left, she ducked into the alley to transform, not daring to waste another second to have her partner’s back.


End file.
